Sean Kelly Construction

Sean was great - he stepped right in and picked up where the other person left off (not easy) and was totally helpful and flexible and HONEST throughout the whole process.  I really enjoyed working with him and would hire him again in a minute.

Sean was originally recommended to us by friends.  The most important element when embarking on a large project with a GC is trustworthiness, and the personal recommendation, along with his portfolio demonstrating complexity and skill of past projects won us over.  We knew the project was going to be very extensive, and we added to the challange by living in the home while the work was being done one floor at a time.  We increased the scope mid-stream, and Sean stuck to the contracted proposal with all increases done through change orders that were discussed in advance.  Sean and his subs were very professional.  Workmanship and attention to detail were very good.  We are very happy with the results.  

This was about as bad as it can get.  On the positive side, Sean was charming.  On the negative side, Sean brought in an excavator that was far too large for the project.  It destroyed our neighbors brick walkway (we had to pay $1,700 to replace it); knocked out their light post and snapped their underground power line (we had to pay $785 to repair them); cracked their driveway and broke the main water line and their irrigation system.  It completely destroyed their yard and garden. This severely strained our relationship with our neighbors.  During this time we received dozens of emails from them about property damage, dangerous site conditions and other problems.  We are still working on repairs to their yard -- to date we?ve paid $11,128 in repairs - and some bills are still outstanding.
During construction Sean Kelly failed to contain dirt and debris. When it rained they ran down our neighbor?s driveway, and into the sidewalk and road - making them dangerously slippery.  We later received a letter "Noti?cation of the Issuance of Violation #5753" from the Bureau of Street-Use and Mapping (BSM) informing us that on 11/5/2012 our project was cited for code section 724(a)3 "construction material not contained.?  We are fiscally responsible for the $2,000 fine.
Midway through the project - and after paying $21k towards the total of $25k - Sean billed us for an *additional* $22,148 - giving us a change order for work he said he had already completed.  We never agreed or signed any change orders.  With our house open to the elements and our neighbor's yard a huge mud pit he then abandoned the project.  Later we discovered that he failed to dig the drain deep enough for part of the run, so we still have water leaking into our basement along part of it.
Believe it or not it actually gets worse.  Months later Sean filed a invalid lien against our house -- and we've had to pay thousands of dollars for an attorney to fight it. 
My recommendation: avoid at all costs.

Sean Kelly of Sean Kelly Construction has my highest recommendation. I live in a charming but small 1913 cottage in the Excelsior District of San Francisco. I am on a fixed income. Even so, I decided to add a bedroom and enlarge the living room. I interviewed three general contractors. They were all highly recommended by my architect. All three made good presentations, making it difficult to choose. I realized that selecting the right contractor was the key to a successful project. If we failed to work well together the whole thing could become a costly nightmare, especially because I had decided to remain in my home during construction. I selected Sean Kelly of Sean Kelly Construction. I am so thankful I did. Sean proved to be a delight to work with, flexible and understanding. He explained everything to me. He is skillful at dealing with the dozens of city inspectors who must sign off on the work as it goes along. Sean?s work crew was superior. The four-month project involved three or four dozen craftsmen and laborers. These workers proved to be not only capable and hard-working but the kind of considerate people I was happy to have in my home. Sean is certified in a number of aspects of green construction. I was pleased about this because I wanted my project to be as green as possible. At the same time, I could not afford to go as green as I would if I had more money. Sean was happy to work with me on this and made several cost-effective green suggestions. We were able to make this project greener in a number of ways without busting the budget. Going in I realized that the main way to keep within budget was not to make changes. I was determined to stick to this?but as construction progressed I found small changes I very much wanted?details, really, but things that make living here easier and more pleasant, such as the location of the faucet for watering the garden and of a light on the garden path. As much as I tried not to waffle, sometimes I changed my mind about something I?d asked for. Sean remained sympathetic and helpful and we worked everything out. The result is that I?ve ended up with a home I?m enormously pleased with. It?s a joy to live here. The thing that pleases me most is that the project came in a few thousand dollars under budget. Sean Kelly has my highest recommendation.